Stephen Skacall Officially on November Ballot

Skacall Officially Slated for November Ballot

Goodwell – Stephen Skacall, of Goodwell, has taken the action necessary to be placed on the ballot this November as an independent candidate for State House District 61.

Oklahoma's election laws make it easy for independent candidates to get on the ballot in most races. For State House, all that is required is a one page filing form and a fee of $200. Skacall submitted the required materials to the Oklahoma State Election Board before flying to South Carolina to visit family.

“I made the decision in April to take a stand against complacent politicians and a Legislature that's more concerned with partisan power struggles than doing what's best for Oklahomans. By officially filing as a candidate for State House District 61, I have followed through with that decision,” Skacall said.

The incumbent, Republican Gus Blackwell, is facing a serious challenge in his party's primary from Hooker native Seth Adams.

“The fact that Republicans are showing open dissatisfaction with Gus Blackwell is a clear demonstrator of his weakness after four terms in office. I think that, over the next month and a half leading up to the primary, more and more Republicans will become aware of Gus Blackwell's failures as a legislator.”

Skacall stated that he feels confident that voters will respond favorably to his campaign's message in November, regardless of who wins the Republican primary.

“Obviously, I'm still going to be in the race regardless of who wins the Republican primary next month. While I do slightly prefer Seth Adams over Gus Blackwell on a few issues, whoever wins the primary will still be chained to the leadership of the Republican Party. Adams and Blackwell alike will be forced to side with the party leaders in Oklahoma City instead of truly voting for their constituents. But I'm confident that the voters will recognize the need for an independent voice in the Legislature, without debts to the political establishment and who is truly able to work with all parties to achieve the best legislation possible for the Panhandle. Clearly, I'm the only candidate who fits that description,” Skacall said.

Stephen Skacall has pledged to campaign based on the truth, bringing light to his stands on the issues that matter most to the voters.

“I'll run this race based solely on the issues. I will never attack the character of my opponent, or tell lies about him. However, I'll be asking the tough questions that need to be asked, and I'll be holding my opponent accountable for his statements, actions, and voting record. I expect nothing less from the Republican candidate, whoever it might be.”

Skacall says that he plans to give the two Republican candidates a chance to debate the issues, and to give Panhandle voters time to evaluate both candidate leading up to the primary in July.

“I'll continue to work on fund raising, of course, and there will be some campaign activities going on, but I'm saving the real fight for after the Republican primary. The voters deserve to be able to pay attention to what their choices are, and right now that's Seth Adams and Gus Blackwell. Rest assured, once the Republican nominee has been chosen, my campaign will be running at full steam toward November.”

Skacall plans to release the new campaign website in the next week or two.

“It's going to be great, a place where voters can go to see where I stand on the issues that matter to them. There will be ways to contact me directly with any questions or comments that they might have, there will be information for anyone wanting to donate or volunteer, and of course all the press releases and statements will be posted there regularly.”

Stephen Skacall can be reached for questions or comments at (405)413-0597. For more information, e-mail chooselibertynow@yahoo.com .